


Breaking Providence

by shinigami_yumi



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Complete, Government Conspiracy, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nipple Play, Oral Sex, POV First Person, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 15:09:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19175857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinigami_yumi/pseuds/shinigami_yumi
Summary: When an epidemic decimates Japan's population demographics and fertility rates, the government rounds up all remaining fertile Omegas for relocation to a secure island where they live in relative luxury in exchange for their participation in the national repopulation program.Decades later, when the heir of the Hotsuin clan who designed the Providence sanctuary presents as a fertile Omega, Yamato refuses to shirk his duty by requesting special exemption, but his life is forever changed when he meets his third match in Hibiki, an Alpha unlike any other.





	Breaking Providence

**Author's Note:**

> I was informed as I was writing this that the concept greatly resembles A Handmaid's Tale. I am hesitant to label the fic as such because I've never read or watched it (yes, yes, criminal, I know; it's on the list), so I don't know any of the details, meaning that tag might be misleading.
> 
> Regardless, I hope that you enjoy this story and let me know what you think of it.

Like every Hotsuin, I was raised to be a leader. With so much to learn, there was never any such thing as free time. I barely left the mansion, and the only people I knew outside my family were the experts that came to teach their respective fields. Once I became clan head, I'd have to travel all over the country for work and receive foreign dignitaries, so I learned formal etiquette and foreign languages, patiently awaiting my time to serve my country.

Then came puberty.

When it began, I thought I'd contracted some kind of infection, so I asked for a doctor. I thought the shocked horror I received in response to my fever was because I was very rarely sick. But the next thing I knew, they'd called in the twin I never knew I had who had been sent to one of our branch houses for similar training — Miyako had presented as a Beta, which meant she could replace me as clan head.

My parents were stunned, disappointed, ashamed — no child of the Hotsuin main house had been an Omega in more generations than anyone remembered, and no one really wanted to dredge up those records, just in case they discovered my case wasn't unique. In any case, Omegas constitute a mere ten percent of the population, so I doubt they would have found many instances anyway.

I had four years before I had to be sent to Providence like every other Omega. I suppose we could have requested special treatment, but no, going was my duty. With the population numbers and demographics as they were after the epidemic just over half a century ago, Japan needed every fertile Omega annually —or as often as health allowed— matched with a genetically compatible Alpha (or the rare fertile Beta) to reproduce. I would not disgrace myself further by shirking my responsibility.

Miyako arranged for me to travel around Japan for those four years — we Hotsuin know too many national secrets to be allowed to leave the country. At first, I greatly resented her —she was already taking my rightful place, albeit through no fault or choice of her own; there was no need to send me away— but then I saw the pity in her eyes the day I left, and it only made me angrier.

Eventually, my sixteenth birthday came, and I was brought to Providence. It is a massive centre spanning the entire island of Awaji, chosen for its perennial fine weather and low population at the time of construction. They left all the hot springs, temples, parks, gardens and such intact, then built over a million five-storey apartment buildings with only two spacious studio units per floor. Each Omega lives in one unit, an advanced smart home specially built for making and nursing infants, and are full-time breeders. Their health, and that of their offspring, are monitored constantly — they are put on personalized exercise regimes and given a nutrient drink every night to make up for any nutritional deficiencies in their chosen meals that day.

There are restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, grocery markets, medical facilities, grooming centres, libraries and such, all staffed by Betas immune to the effects of Omega mating cycles. Every Omega receives a monthly stipend for discretionary spending in the shops — everything else is free. An army of cleaning, security and maintenance drones keeps everything in order while a smaller team of staff takes care of tasks that require human intervention. Experts in reproductive healthcare, childcare and pediatrics conduct regular seminars for the residents, attendance at which is mandatory. Visitors are allowed, as are gifts — all pass through stringent security inspections at heavily guarded access points. Likewise, communications and the flow of information are highly regulated.

You could call Providence the world's most beautiful prison.

Some of the older residents compare it to Hotel California, a fictional place described in an American song that was popular in their youth. I had to look it up in the music library before I understood what they meant.

There are only two ways an Omega ever leaves Providence — death or permanent infertility.

♤♡♢♧

I look up from my book when the doorbell rings and go to open it. I was reminded in this morning's wake up call that my mate for this year would arrive today. They will be the third to spend a year with me before leaving with the resulting infant to return to whomever it is they plan to raise a child with. Some Omegas weep bitterly for weeks when the infant is taken from them, some even attempt suicide — I have better things to do than be bogged down by such worthless sentiment.

"Unless you have reached the wrong unit," I inform the youth at the door as I open it, "scanning your Phecda wristband should unlock the door," the same way the Megrez automated buggies knew to take him to this building.

"I know," he replies with a sheepish smile. "But having the key doesn't make it polite to simply barge into a stranger's house without asking."

Looking at him, I wonder whether it is my eyes or nose deceiving me. I smell Alpha, all right, but he's even a little shorter than me and not much bulkier under the white parka and cyan pants. He's attractive, of course —perhaps our genetic compatibility wires me to think so— with black wavy hair and bright blue eyes, and his blue suitcase is decorated with white rabbits. As I step aside to let him in, I see that his parka has a hood, and there are two attachments to it that look like very elongated rabbit ears trailing behind him.

It is a strange aesthetic, but unimportant. What _is_ important is that he sets his large suitcase down by the leather loveseat before turning to me and bowing politely.

"I'm Kuze Hibiki, pleased to meet you."

Shutting the door, I raise an eyebrow, but incline my head in return. "Hotsuin Yamato."

None of the Alphas I have met here were ever quite so polite, especially to Omegas. If anything, they were usually a rather entitled lot, being accustomed to getting whatever they wanted out of others. Instead, he seems pleasantly surprised by my response.

"It's only one year," I tell him anyway. "You need not stand on ceremony."

"Yamato then?" He taps the suitcase. "Where should I unpack this?"

I show him to a cupboard I leave empty for his kind and go to brew a pot of tea while he puts everything neatly away. Eventually, he joins me in the living area where I'm reading on the armchair and helps himself to some tea.

"Do you plan to go there someday?" He points at my book about Greece.

I mark my page and close the book. "No. I cannot leave Japan, so I can only read about it."

He doesn't press, but to my surprise, he is genuinely sad — I can smell it. "My biological mother wanted to go to South America, but by the time she left here, she was in no condition to travel."

Suddenly, I understand his politeness. Few Alphas and Betas have ever known their Omega parent, or any other Omegas, further reducing empathy in a society that already sees us as little more than a means of reproduction. It sounds like Hibiki cared for his mother till she passed.

"I see. My condolences." As he says, it is only polite.

He shakes his head. "How long have you been here?"

"You are my third."

Instead of the disappointment I expect, Hibiki seems stricken — his sorrow is even starting to affect me. His mother must have told him a lot about Providence.

"Stop," I say firmly. "I don't need your pity."

"Sorry, I don't mean— Well, not you specifically." He adjusts though, maybe changes his line of thinking, and stands, taking a deep breath and stretching. "It's almost dinner time. Are we eating out? Perhaps you could show me around Providence on the way?"

I rise as well. "Of course." That I can certainly do.

After a leisurely walk around while I point out the various facilities, we have dinner at my favourite restaurant and discuss house rules and schedules. This one is easygoing, fairly well-read and… devious. Watching him in those few hours, I notice that he doesn't use his Alpha influence aggressively — his is a particularly insidious brand of manipulation. He uses his charisma to endear people to him, then asks for what he wants once he has them eating out of his hand. By then, they are so happy to oblige that they don't even realize they've been taken advantage of and even welcome him back to do it again.

Kuze Hibiki is dangerous.

Still, in the constant similitude of Providence, that makes him interesting. At least this won't be a dull year like the last.

After he's polished off an unhealthy quantity of dessert, we head back, and he watches as the Alioth monitor scans my body, then produces a cup of the usual red drink — it always looks the same, but tastes a little different depending on its nutrient content for the day. Then I watch as he caves in to curiosity and gets a glass for himself.

"Ew." He grimaces and goes to pour it down the sink. "It's like… cheap grape soda with an extra chemical aftertaste. I d— ow!" He jerks, dropping the cup. "What the—"

"That's what happens when you don't do exactly as you're supposed to," I explain, arms crossed. "The wristband shocks you until you comply. Only Omegas are required to drink that every night, but if you decide you want one for the day, you are not allowed to change your mind and waste it."

"It's stopped though."

Glancing pointedly at the empty plastic cup lying in the sink, I say, "A little late for compliance, isn't it?"

Hibiki is… uneasy. "I'm never getting another cup."

"Ha…" I go to the bathroom to prepare for bed. "We'll see what the Arcturus system says about that at your next medical check up."

From across the apartment, I can smell his dread.

♤♡♢♧

There is, naturally, only one bed, although it's queen-sized and comfortable. When Hibiki asks if I mind sharing it, I inform him that the wristband will shock whichever one of us isn't in bed by eleven. We are allowed to leave the bed for ten-minute breaks in case we need to use the toilet or drink some water, but we are otherwise required to remain in bed between eleven at night and seven in the morning.

Lying beside me, he stares at tomorrow's schedule displayed on the digital clock and calendar on the wall over the headboard and rightly concludes, "I assume that means your exercise hour at ten in the morning is also compulsory, and you will be shocked until you start working out."

"That and a Spica drone will hover beside you and repeat your training instructions until you follow them."

"That's annoying." 

"Yes," I agree. "More so than the wristband."

"Kinky," he teases with a giggle.

"What do you mean?"

"It's as if you like a little pain."

I shrug, burrowing into the covers. "You get used to it."

"So," he turns to look at me, "what _do_ you like?"

"Heh. You do realize that, by the time this matters, I won't care what you do as long as your knot ends up inside me?"

Hibiki groans, throwing his arms up over his head. "You do realize that, when you say things like that, I won't want to wait that long?"

I tense at the smell of desire — if he makes an effort, I won't be able to resist. "The last two were quite unhappy about being forced to sleep together," I offer in hopes of distracting him. The first wanted sex often, and it was both exhausting and not especially enjoyable, so it's not of particular interest to me. "They said that this is more intimate than sexual activities, something they only did with their spouses."

"I can't say I disagree," comes the reply.

"You do not seem concerned."

"Well, I don't have a partner to worry about."

Rolling onto my back, I glance sideways. "You were drafted?"

To restore the population numbers and demographics, a minimum annual growth rate was calculated. Every year, the applications to procreate personally or adopt are tallied, and if the numbers of infants to be voluntarily conceived don't meet the minimum rate, the remainder are drafted from fertile Alphas and Betas; if there aren't enough voluntary adopters, the extra infants are assigned to families screened and selected by the government.

"Oh, heavens, no. I chose to come here."

"What?" Will he raise the resulting child alone?

"Um… I suppose this is as good a time as any to explain." He rolls onto his side to face me. "My best friend, Daichi, recently married his girlfriend, Io. They really want a child, but neither of them are fertile, so since I'm single and still waiting to hear back from university admissions, I volunteered to come instead and let them adopt the baby."

My first instinct is to be appalled that not even one biological parent will be raising the child — voluntary adopters aren't subject to the stringent screenings that assigned families are. Then I realize that I have no idea what level of care any of the infants are presently receiving. In truth, what difference does it make? It has always been infinitely clear that we only give birth to another's child.

So instead I ask, "You're going to university?"

"Yeah… Is that strange?"

I shake my head — Alphas often choose careers in fields like politics, business, mass communications, performing arts and law, fields in which their natural charisma increases success. "Not as strange as your being single." Alphas are, of course, also the most popular twenty percent of the people and are always surrounded by eager partners.

Chuckling, he murmurs, "I suppose that's true," then falls silent — again, the scent of disquiet. "I— I promise I'll bring the child to visit you," he blurts suddenly, and…

I smell guilt.

Hibiki feels guilty that he will leave with my child in a year's time, even though that is the rule he must comply with.

"That is very compassionate of you," I reply, turning to face him at last. "I don't dislike that."

"W—when I look at… all the Omegas here, I think of the way my mother wept when we met, the way a woman I didn't even recognize embraced me with such warmth and showed me the h—hundreds of photos she took during the one year she had with me… all the other albums of baby pictures she had, now adults who didn't know her or even care enough for a hospital visit…"

"I am not one of those Omegas," I interrupt, lest he make me cry too. I hope this isn't constant — if he keeps vacillating between thoughts of sex and grief, I will have to apply for a rematch. "I only took one photo of each child before they left, just so I don't lose track."

"I'm glad," he whispers, covering my hand with his own. "I don't know what I'd do if you started crying."

♤♡♢♧

As it turns out, Hibiki has a great sense of humour — he enjoys watching, reading and telling funny stories, and is amused by the simplest things. After those first two days of culture shock, he settles into a generally upbeat disposition, and it's infectious, as it tends to be with Alpha moods.

Unfortunately, he's not very good at chess, but he's also not as bad as the last two, and his taste in music is a large improvement. He also reads, which is more than I can say for the second, and the first only read manga, mostly hentai.

Today, he has decided to join me for my daily workout as usual, and jogging through the park, I notice that Hibiki is one of only twelve matches here with their Omegas — right about the usual percentage.

Without stopping, he points at a tan coloured drone floating past. "Yamato, what does that one do?"

"Benetnasch security drone. Break up fights, punish crime, prevent escape, put down rebellions and such. It intervenes in cases of disobedience that the Phecda system has failed to remedy. The offender is tranquillized, then brought to a rehabilitation centre for re-education."

He stops and gives me a look of horror. "Re-education…?"

I shrug, passing him. "I have never been to a rehabilitation centre. I can only tell you that repeat offenders are exceedingly scarce."

Running to catch up, he breathlessly says, "So let me get this straight… Every Omega that comes to Providence is given a Dubhe collar that will only disengage when the Omega is cleared for release to prevent mating bonds. Every Alpha or Beta that comes to procreate is paired with an available genetically compatible Omega by the Merak matching system. Megrez controls the navigation of those buggies; Phecda is the program that governs our disciplinary ID wristbands. Alioth is our nutritionist; Mizar controls the cleaning and maintenance drones. Benetnasch keeps the peace inside, Polaris is the surveillance system, and Denebola keeps people from coming or going without authorization. Spica is our personal trainer while Arcturus is the core medical system that keeps track of everyone's health. And all of these expert programs are overseen and synchronised by an advanced AI known as Canopus?"

"Yes."

It is an accurate summary, and he need not know that only the Hotsuin family knows about Canopus because my forebears designed the Providence system and recruited the finest programmers in the nation to code it. For security, access is keyed to our genetic code, so only a Hotsuin can input exceptions or overrides into the system. I could leave if I truly wished —it is Miyako who approves the applications to leave— but I would be unworthy of the Hotsuin name if I refused to make the sacrifice my clan has demanded of so many others when my turn came.

The Spica drone leaves —today's exercise requirement is complete— and Hibiki falls into the nearest park bench with me. The drinking fountain beside it dispenses an isotonic drink, and as I lean over him to drink some, he helps me balance with an arm around my waist.

Too late I realize my mistake when he doesn't let go.

"Hibiki," I keep my voice even, "we're in a public park."

"I know. I just… got distracted by how beautiful you are and how wonderful you smell." Briefly, he hugs me, inhaling deeply of my scent, then lets go to drink as well.

Either he's toying with me, or he has excellent self-control… probably both, considering he's chosen diplomacy over intimidation. I'd play his game if I had a chance of winning, but in the long run, the odds are heavily stacked against me.

"Shower and lunch?" he suggests, offering me his hand, and I take it as I stand.

"Your self-restraint is commendable," I tell him, giving credit where it is due. Glancing at a couple across the park, I add, "Some people have no decency."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he admits as we begin a slow trot back to the apartment. "I'm not averse to letting everyone know that you're mine. I simply respect you too much to force you."

"Heh, it wouldn't be your style," I agree. No, by the time he asks for it, I will think I wanted it all along.

"My style?" He laughs, waggling his eyebrows. "Suddenly, you sound like an expert."

"Ha… I have been watching you, after all."

"O' Glorious Day!" Hibiki exclaims melodramatically, throwing his hands up in the air with a triumphant twirl. "My prince is finally flirting with me!" Lifting my hand, he presses his lips to my knuckles. "Does that mean I stand a chance?"

"Flirting?" I frown. "What do you mean? And it is only a matter of time before that becomes a non-issue."

His face falls. "You're right," he sighs. "If sex were all I wanted, I could have it whenever, will have it eventually."

For a moment, I am confused, then I remember that he's single, but I still don't understand. "What? Why? After this year, we might never see each other again."

"I told you I'd visit," he protests, "but let me put it this way. Yamato, say there were no restrictions — what would you do if you were told you had one year left to live?"

"Everything I ever wanted, but that's not the same at all."

"No? Should we let the fact that it'll all be over in a year stop us from living this year to the fullest? Or should we be the happiest that we can be in the time that we have left?"

I consider his logic, then counter with, "But the higher you fly, the further there is to fall."

Hibiki looks up at the sun, shading his eyes. "Do you ever regret taking risks to achieve your dreams?"

"No," I answer automatically. "I make the necessary sacrifices and never look back."

"Great." He laces our fingers with a smile. "Me neither."

And I think I've fallen into his trap.

♤♡♢♧

At lunch, one of the café staff trips and falls into the Alpha behind Hibiki in line who immediately flies into a rage. Hibiki blocks his attempt to hit her, but Phecda starts up before the fight can escalate, and the fool turns his aggression towards attempting to pull the wristband off instead. Then a Benetnasch drone shows up and shoots a tranquilliser dart at the offender, who instantly crumples to the floor. It picks him up and takes him away, all in mere minutes, and Hibiki stares after it, aghast, for a long time before apologizing and asking if the girl is all right.

When he returns to our table with a tray of food, I remark, "If you wanted to see Benetnasch in action, you were certainly in luck."

Still reeking of disquiet, he sits and asks, "Don't you ever wonder what re-education entails?"

I shake my head — I don't have to. "If I had to guess, I'd say drugged brainwashing." Ignoring his horrified expression, I start eating my salad.

"Is that… Is that even allowed? Isn't that… inhumane? An infringement of human rights?"

I pause. "Yes, but beware what you say here. Polaris is watching." There are bugs and cameras everywhere.

He opens his mouth, closes it, then starts eating his pasta. "Are you happy here?" he asks at length.

"What a foolish question." I move on to my lasagna.

"Sorry. I mean… Say you were allowed to come and go as you pleased. Would you still be opposed to living here?"

I consider it. "No. If this were a residential area instead of an upper middle class prison, and I could pursue the career and goals that I desired, I would not be opposed to living here."

"Yes, in some ways, I can understand why some of the Alphas and Betas that have been here say they wish they could have stayed. Outside, it's too congested in the cities, whereas the more rural areas don't have as many jobs and facilities. Even without the Polaris system, it doesn't feel like there's much privacy, and everyone lives in fear of losing their jobs. Some even say they wish they had presented as Omega, to be able to live in such comfort."

"Hahaha! That's rich, coming from people who condone us being reared like luxury livestock. Next they'll say they wish they had been born as wagyu cows. Would that not be simpler?"

Hibiki smiles wryly. "What would you have done? If you hadn't had to come here."

"I would have been a government official, perhaps even a politician." The one in charge of this project, no less, but he need not know that. "Like generations of my family have been before." I could have done something about this, but it'd be disingenuous to say so — in truth, it probably never would have crossed my mind. It is necessary for the preservation of our nation's future, so I would have had no qualms about upholding the system — a viewpoint of privilege, I see now. "I was trained from a young age for that, given a university-level education and taught several foreign languages." I set my fork down, the lasagna gone bitter on my tongue. "What do those… plebeians even know? How would they understand what it feels like to have all their potential _wasted_ by a mere twist of genetics?!"

Abruptly, I stand to leave.

"H— Wait!"

I hear footsteps running after me, but continue my brisk walk. Suddenly, his arms are around my torso.

"Wait, wait, Yamato, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I upset you. I shouldn't have pried."

I stop, and we almost fall over, but he quickly adjusts and switches to just an arm around my waist — less awkward.

"No." He's misunderstood. "Thank you. No one has ever asked me that before."

♤♡♢♧

Unlike the other visiting matches, Hibiki spends almost all his time with me. He follows my schedule as outlined by the Canopus system — the exercise times, the medical exams, even the seminars. We eat together, go shopping together, borrow books together, and he continues to ask about my life before and since I came here. Sometimes, he goes on walks by himself, reads one of the books he borrowed or browses the music library to see if any new good music has arrived. When I tell him that I like takoyaki, we go to the stall to try it, and he insists that he can make it better, so we split a takoyaki pan between us and head to the grocery store to get the ingredients for it.

After picking out the freshest specimens of octopus I can find, I follow Hibiki's scent to the sauce aisle to find him talking to a shorter boy with silver hair like mine, only short and spiked up — a fellow Alpha. Hibiki turns as soon as I spot him and smiles brightly.

"Yamato! Keita here is from Osaka, and he insists this takoyaki sauce is the best!" He holds up one of several available brands.

"Hmph." Keita steps back as I approach — they must have decided their relative standing already. "Never settle for less." He smirks, lifting his hand in a lazy wave as he walks away. "Hey Kuze, come by the boxing ring sometime if you feel up to getting crushed."

I frown as Hibiki waves back before putting the bottle of takoyaki sauce into our shopping basket. "You're taking his word for it?"

"Why not? I've never seen this brand in Tokyo. There's no reason not to try a new thing if a native is recommending it."

I cross my arms. "You'd jeopardise my satisfaction?"

With a soft snicker, he counters with, "Oho, are you jealous?"

Confused, I ask, "What? Why would you think that? You just promised me the best takoyaki I've ever tasted."

He sighs, wrapping an arm around my waist and leading me to get the next item on our list. "It's called wishful thinking, Yamato. I was hoping you'd say yes."

I blink, uncomprehending. "You were hoping I'd be irrationally possessive? Why?"

"Heh, because it might suggest you're finally warming up to me?" He smiles wryly, a touch self-deprecating. "Hmm… it'd also make me feel better about myself, since I'd hate to see you with another Alpha or Beta."

I raise an eyebrow. "Territorial, that's an Alpha trait."

"But envy and jealousy are universal," he ripostes, double-checking his list. "I mean, all right, call it the Alpha in me, fine, but…" He looks up at me, running a hand through his black waves in frustration. "Look, I know generosity is a virtue, but I don't want you to be generous about this. Heck, it would have comforted me to know I was your first, and not only because it would have spared you the suffering — I don't want to even think about sharing you with anyone."

 _"And I was hoping you'd feel the same way,"_ may have gone unsaid, but it's loud and clear in the silence.

It is a foolish notion though. 'Sharing,' if it can even be called that, is the nature of this arrangement. What we have is temporary. In time, we will both have other partners. I expect, however, that the facts aren't what he wants to hear.

So, instead, I tell him a different truth: "Well, I would feel insulted if you showed interest in another Omega."

Still, Hibiki lights up, and it's like a star, bright and warming — I find the corners of my mouth curving upwards as well. Kissing my knuckles as we head to the checkout counter, he murmurs, "But who could ever compare?"

The rest of the day is spent in my underused kitchen mixing batter, marinating octopus pieces and then making the takoyaki itself. He flips the balls with practiced ease, then serves it to me with the sauce and garnishing, and watches expectantly as I tentatively try one.

"Very well," I decide, taking the next piece. "You are leaving the pan _and_ the recipe behind when you leave." I concede that his takoyaki is excellent.

He giggles, snagging one, and I glare at him. "Batch two?"

"I insist." As he starts dropping the octopus pieces into the next batch, I think better of it, rolling up my yukata sleeves. "No, let me try."

With a fond little smile, he hands the picks to me, then lets me sprinkle the ginger and spring onions by myself. Leaning against the counter beside me, he watches as I try to flip the balls like I saw him do earlier. I get the hang of it on my third attempt, and he sighs dreamily.

"You're so smart _and_ so handy. We're going to have genius kids. I think I'll have to call Daichi and tell him to find another donor. I'm keeping all of ours. Let's raise them together."

I turn to stare at him. "You forget I can't leave this place."

"I'll kidnap you," he ripostes whimsically. "We'll run somewhere far, far away. W—"

I clamp my hand over his mouth. "Don't say irresponsible things. Polaris is watching, and an AI can't tell you're joking."

Hibiki smiles into my skin, wraps an arm around me and takes my hand to move it away. "That means you care about me, right?"

I sigh, pulling away to get my Alioth drink. "You say such pointless things."

He watches me —I can feel his eyes on my back— as he garnishes the plate of takoyaki. Then he feeds me a piece before I snatch the chopsticks from him and start polishing it all off.

“Oh, you are so mean!” He flicks his fingers at my arm, grabbing another pair of chopsticks. "You're trying to starve me!"

I glare at him for stealing one. "No, we can go for supper."

"The only supper I want is you," he replies hopefully. When I fall silent, his expression turns to concern. "Hey, uh… I don't mean to—"

I shake my head. "I've never engaged in sexual activities with my matches outside of the necessary."

Well, the first forced me twice, and I applied for a rematch, only to be informed that my reasons were invalid, so I avoided him till I could no longer.

It gives him pause, inexplicably. "Then don't," he decides quietly, but still he steps closer, and his spicy-sweet musk leaves me lightheaded. "I've said before, I would never force you. But I'd like it if you didn't push me away, if you'd let us… what is it you want, really?"

"Respect," I answer automatically, and I suppose that's why I stand my ground as he closes in — for a change, he actually cares what I think.

Hibiki smiles like he was expecting my answer, and a part of my brain screams, "Danger!" from beyond the haze of his intoxicating scent.

"The sort that comes with love or the sort that comes with fear?" He comes to a stop right in front of me.

I smirk, high on adrenaline. "Either is fine. But I suspect fear doesn't come easily to you."

He grins, blue eyes twinkling. "Well, luckily for you, love does."

I arch an eyebrow. "Oh? If you considered that flattering, you should get your brain examined."

Giggling, he asks, "Oh? Jealous now?" Before I can shatter his delusion again, "Kiss me," he says, voice dropping to a hushed plea, and I've never done that either, but I don't say that. Maybe it's because he wants me to, but when he leans in, I let him, close my eyes to feel his soft lips brush over mine. "Yamato," he whispers, voice husky, thumb caressing my cheek, and I lean into it, open up to let his tongue slip into my mouth, let him hold me as it slides alongside mine.

Warmth blooms inside, and my eyes fly open when the back of my knees hit the bed frame. But he hushes me, lifts me into his arms and lies down, kissing my temple. We settle into a more comfortable position, and he keeps his word, merely wrapping his arms around me and whispering "good night" into my hair.

I thought he'd been lying before about respecting me too much to force me, but…

Resting my head on his chest, I resent the part of me that feels safe. I'm Hotsuin Yamato — I don't need anyone's protection. But I would be grateful if the next were like him too.

♤♡♢♧

I wake feverish, sweaty and sticky.

Ugh, it has begun.

I hate this.

Beside me, Hibiki stirs. "Hm? Yamato?" Then his nostrils flare, and he's atop me instantly. "Gods," he groans. "I didn't want this to be our first time, but—"

He kisses me, with much more ardour and passion than last night, reaching between us to fist my erection, and I cry out at the wave of pleasure that courses through my body, that makes more slick flow down my already wet thighs. He noses at my neck through the collar as he makes quick work of our clothes and underwear, then rocks his hips into mine — I gasp his name. I can't help clinging to him, my nails leaving imprints in his back, as he sucks on my nipples like our child would, and I didn't know it'd feel so good like this. Then he's stroking us both as one, and I—

I blink the white away. I… He's not even inside me yet. When his tongue traces my areola, my groin throbs despite the recent climax, and I need him inside. It feels… empty.

As if reading my mind, he slides in, and I whimper, trembling with pleasure. There's a place inside, the seminars say, that gets extra sensitive when Omegas are in heat, that makes them clench reflexively around a mate when stimulated to encourage insemination, and I think he's found it — I'm already erect again.

I moan when he moves, pull him deeper with my arms and legs, and he leans up to kiss me again. Ah, it's— I'm—!

I… I'm blinking coloured lights out of my vision as Hibiki moans. He's climaxed as well — I can feel his knot inside, the heat of his seed spilling into me to, hopefully, put an end to this.

"Has anyone ever told you…" he murmurs, and I tense — post-coital conversation is usually bad news. "…you sound really sexy when you moan like—"

"Hngh!"

He rolled his hips a little, his knot pressing into that place, and my limbs go weak — it's _incredibly good_.

"Yeah, like that."

He does it again, and I think I'll have another orgasm before his is even through.

"N—no… nn-hngh…"

"That's criminal." He groans, nosing at my neck again. "You smell amazing. I hate this collar. I want to claim you, spend the rest of my life with you. Mn…" He looks up, adoring, a little sheepish. "Is it too soon for me to say that?"

"Yes. Ha…ahh!"

I'm shaking this time when I come down from it — even if Omegas in heat have negligible refractory time, I'll soon be exhausted. Even now, my body feels slack, strung out.

"That's just the hormones talking."

"Really?" Hibiki giggles, then gasps as another wave of orgasm washes over him. "D—does that mean you want to spend the rest of your life with me, too?"

"Are such pointless sentiments meaningful to you?" What does it matter whether I wish to or not? The fact is I cannot.

Carding his fingers through my hair, he answers, "They are, and I don't see them as pointless. I would rather we loved each other this one year than regret not doing so later. The pain of separation dulls with time. The regret of missed opportunities only grows deeper."

"Ha…! I can't believe you're an Alpha."

"No?" He rocks his hips again, teasing. "Oh…"

I bite back a whimper. "You are philosophising mid-orgasm."

"Hah, I did all the philosophising last night, thinking I would try to convince you today. Needless to say, this wasn't the situation I had in mind."

"Ah… I am suddenly much less impressed."

"Give me some credit," he whines, almost petulant. "Even a rehearsed script requires skill to deliver."

"With whom did you rehearse it?"

"What? No one! I'd never! Only in my head, I swear!"

Sighing, I tangle my fingers in his hair and promise, "I will consider it." Perhaps, with him…

♤♡♢♧

Hibiki all but carries me to the library to borrow children's books, never mind that we're barely two weeks in. He's excited; I'm underwhelmed — this is routine, after all, just another year. He insists that I should only relax, and Canopus agrees —the rules and schedule are relaxed during gestation to minimise stress— so we go to the beach, to the parks, to the spas and even the hot springs, although he only lets me soak my legs. To make up for my being unable to immerse myself in the soothing warmth, he dips a towel into the hot water and drapes it over my back and shoulders every few minutes, otherwise sitting contentedly between my legs with his head on my thigh to the uncomprehending glances of other Alphas and the envious looks of other Omegas.

Unlike with the second, who had been more than pleased to get the bare necessity over with and returned to being merely a cordial roommate after, we also continued our interludes. Unlike the first who tried to force me again and was re-educated once Arcturus detected my rising stress levels, Hibiki let me consider for several days whether I wanted to stop. I felt I should repay his respect somehow, and he had more than proven himself worthy of the opportunity, so I allowed it.

Sometimes, he "blows me" when we're alone at the hot springs; sometimes, lying in his arms on the beach to watch the sunset turns into something more. He showers me with attentive affection, memorizes how to please me. I suppose I was right about him — now, it's easy to believe that I want this, too. I can't deny that this is pleasant, that I have come to enjoy our time together very much.

Tonight, we're making niku jaga. It's not something I've made before, so we're going by his "recipe."

"How much mirin do I add?" I ask, measuring spoon and bottle in hand.

"Hm?" Hibiki comes over, glances into the pot, then grabs the bottle from me and just pours some in, much like he'd done with the soy sauce earlier.

I frown as I stir the mixture and increase the heat. "You don't have a recipe. You have an idea of how to make this." I would know — I learned to cook almost everything from recipe books, and the instructions are very precise.

"It's fine, Yamato." He kisses my cheek before returning to cleaning vegetables. "Trust me. I've done this before."

And it's true — the stew is delicious even before I leave it to simmer, more so when we sit down to eat it with some rice and lightly seasoned steamed vegetables later.

"Not everything has to be perfect to be good," he says when I remark on it, covering my hand on the table with his own.

I smirk at him. "How devious of you…"

He grins, squeezing my hand. "Says the one that has me wrapped around his little finger."

"So you say… when you could compel me as you desire."

"Hah, I bet the reason we keep you all locked up in here is so we don't spend all our time fighting over you and lose all our power and privilege to the Betas."

"Ha… At least you are honest."

We finish our dinner, then wash the dishes together. As soon as we step away from the sink, he wraps his arms around me from behind and presses his lips to the pulse point behind my ear, the closest he can get to my neck. Still holding me tightly, he leads me to the bed to make me sit on his lap. It's awkward because I'm slightly taller, so we shift — I recline on him between his legs, let him embrace me with his entire body. It's warm, comfortable, and he smells content, protective, affectionate.

"I need to practice," he says suddenly, reaching for one of the books on the nightstand. "Let me read you a bedtime story."

I roll my eyes —his enthusiasm is, at once, charming yet exasperating— but settle into him to listen.

"Once, when I was six-years-old," he begins, and I look at the book when I realize that it is illustrated.

He continues to read with such feeling and dramatic effect that he could have made a career recording audio books. It also turns out to be a rather profound children's book he's chosen, so when he asks for my thoughts at the end, I tell him, "You're terrible at bedtime stories."

"What?" He sets the book back down on the nightstand. "But you were so interested!"

"Precisely. Bedtime stories are supposed to put you to sleep. You've only made me more awake."

He giggles then, kisses my temple. "Well, we could always try the activity that always puts you to sleep instead."

He's incorrigible, but I do want him, so I tilt my head back and reach up to cup his cheek. He immediately responds, sliding his hand up my thigh under my yukata. I pull him into a kiss, and he obliges, his fingers pressing into me and making me moan as heat blossoms. A twist up, and I gasp his name, eyes rolling back.

"I like this better," he murmurs, stopping to lick his fingers, and the sight fills me with need. "No mad rush, no fevered chase for completion." Before I can move, he's rolled us over and slid down to settle between my legs and nudge them apart. "Gods, I love the taste of you," is all the warning I get before—

"H—ha—ahh!"

His tongue is caressing my entrance, tracing the lip of it, dipping in and exploring, and I bury my face in a pillow to muffle the cries I can't silence. It's too good, and I feel the warm gush of slick, but then he's lapping it up like he's hungry for it, zigzagging the tip of his tongue from the base of my erection to my perineum, and I—

"Hibiki, I'm—"

Cool air ghosts over my heated skin, then he sucks at the edge hard enough to leave a mark, and I'm gone, I'm seeing stars.

But the gentle swipe of his tongue still leaves me whimpering, and I want more — he learned my weaknesses quickly. I disrobe, and he mouths his way up my spine. I turn to kiss him, tasting myself on his lips, then roll us over again to straddle his hips and take him inside me — we moan breathlessly as one as we are joined. He's fully erect already — I've barely even touched him.

"I can tease you like this…" He pulls me forward to flick his tongue and fingers at my nipples, and I gasp his name, trying to move, but he holds me still. "You know, seeing how much you like this gives me really perverse thoughts… like how hard will you come if I blow you while you're nursing?"

"Hibiki!" But I don't know what it is I'm protesting.

I can only dig my fingers helplessly into his shoulders as he keeps going mercilessly —nibbling, pinching, sucking, rolling, swirling his tongue around them— and I'm wet and leaking again already, but it's just not enough.

"Hi—Hibiki…" I'm so close, but I need— "Ha—nghh!" A finger traced the place where we're joined, and I _almost_ came, but "You can be so cruel."

He stops completely, just holds us both completely still, and I glare venomously at him.

"But you're enjoying it this much?" He swipes a finger up my erection, and my breath hitches as I almost climax again, ah… "Like I said, kinky." He's sucking his finger to taste me, but I want his mouth somewhere else—

"Yamato, I love you."

All the pleasure implodes in searing white, and I tremble as I spill, my groin throbbing to the beat of my racing pulse. He's milking me through it, drawing it out like he always does, and I feel him swell inside me, hot and full. When I slump into him, catching my breath, he lets me nuzzle his neck, and I don't answer, but maybe I already have.

"You're my rose," he continues, sotto voce. "Unique in all the world to me. Hah, you are fittingly proud too, although you are far from weak. One day, you will tell me to go away and try to be happy… but I'll come back to you. Yamato, I'll always come back to you."

Instead of replying, I nip my way down his jugular like only he has ever allowed, stroke my fingers teasingly from the back of his knee to where we are still joined and smirk as he whines my name. His hips jerk up, deeper, and despite my recent orgasm, I'm hopelessly aroused — he's always so eager to please, so willing to surrender, so unlike the rest.

"Hibiki…" I kiss him, tasting myself on his lips, lifting my hips and sinking down on him again and again, clenching tightly as pleasure sparks inside. It's still intense, but he's right — this is far better than how quickly it ended when I was in heat. Extending the pleasure is preferable to passing out from exhaustion.

"Hibiki," I moan again, and he laces our fingers, lets me pin him down, lets me control the pace and tease him to the brink, over and over till he's gasping for breath and desperate— and I realize I believe him.

_I truly believe him._

I don't know which one of us comes first, but I hear him growl in frustration at the collar as usual, and for the first time, that frustration is shared.

For the first time, sincerely, I want to be his mate.

♤♡♢♧

The bed is cold when I wake, and I'm… disoriented.

"Hibiki?"

No answer is forthcoming, and I sit up.

Silence.

I'm alone in the apartment for the first time in weeks, and it's very odd — Hibiki's not supposed to be gone yet. I pile up the pillows and lean back into them, nauseous. This will pass in a month or so, but in the meantime… Where _did_ Hibiki go? He's rarely up and about so early, much less outdoors — on our first two days, he complained about the early bedtime and early rise in the schedule being too much like going to work or school despite adjusting quickly. And even when he did wake early, he would stay in bed with me till I was ready to get up. These days, that includes bringing me a basin or escorting me to the bathroom in case I really vomited.

I sink deeper into the pillows. Ugh, I hope today isn't one of those days. Despite Hibiki's best efforts, there will never be such a thing as a bearable vomiting experience.

Just then, the door opens silently, and Hibiki sneaks in. Perhaps he notices my staring, for he instantly stops trying to be quiet and sets his bags down before approaching.

"Hey… You're awake." He sits by my side, presses a kiss to my brow and gathers me close. "Nausea again?"

I nod, leaning into him. "Where did you go?"

"We were almost out of yoghurt, so I went to get some."

We used to eat more traditionally for breakfast —natto, fish and miso soup with rice— but these days, the smell of fish worsens my nausea, and rice feels too heavy first thing in the morning. So now we eat the natto for lunch instead, and Hibiki makes me a cup of herbal tea —peppermint, lemon and ginger is the blend the herb shop recommends for nausea— followed by a small bowl of muesli or granola stirred into fruit yoghurt for breakfast.

"Would you like your tea now?"

I hum in agreement, and he tucks me back in before heading to the kitchen, and I—

I had to repress the reflex to catch his hand before he left.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I avoided the first as best I could even after re-education, and while the second was happy to help me, we usually spent most of the day apart. Maybe that's it — Hibiki is always around, so it feels strange when he isn't. Perhaps we should gradually start spending less time together, so that it will be less of a shock to us both when he leaves eventually.

I dig my thumb into the pressure point on my wrist and close my eyes as another wave of nausea hits. Urgh.

He returns with a steaming mug and a large bowl, and the scent of the herbs immediately alleviates the worst of the nausea. Setting them down on the nightstand, he slides under the covers to recline on the pillows beside me, and I'm snuggling into his side without thinking as he hands me the mug of tea. I sip at it as he stirs the cereal — it takes a while for the grains to soak up the yoghurt's moisture, so he must always mix it even before putting on the kettle.

Sometimes, I question why he indulges my perfectionism.

"Hey," he whispers suddenly, "sorry for leaving you alone this morning. I'll wait until you wake up next time, okay?"

I blink. "What? No, that's fine."

"Then what's bothering you?" He tries a spoonful of the muesli and yoghurt before feeding me some.

I assume he can smell my disquiet. "Just the nausea," I lie, finishing my tea. I am Hotsuin Yamato, and these trivial sentiments are inconsequential, not even worth mentioning.

Hibiki's expression clouds with worry. "Is it getting worse?"

"No, but retching bile into the water closet is not an experience that improves with repetition."

He lets out a soft laugh, kissing my temple.

Then the alarms go off.

To my surprise, he gets up in a hurry.

"Hibiki, that's not the fire alarm." That's the security breach alarm, and we're supposed to stay in, not evacuate.

"I know," comes the answer, but he doesn't sit back down. Instead, he offers me his hand. "Come on, we need to hurry. Are you feeling better?"

Taking it, I sit up — the nausea is gone. "Yes, but it's the security breach alarm. That means curfew."

At that, he sits down and takes my other hand too. "Yamato, I—" He sighs, looking gravely into my eyes. "There's something I haven't told you. I'm part of the rebellion."

Even as isolated as Providence is, I've heard rumours of a group that opposes the system, that believes Providence is unjust and inhumane. I confess I'm unsurprised — it makes sense considering Hibiki's beliefs.

"Last year, we intercepted some classified documents. The latest census shows our population and demographic numbers are already almost back to pre-crisis levels, will be once the current generation of children grow up in a few years. But the government isn't publishing this data. They're still lying and saying that the numbers are barely half of what they really are, that we still need Providence."

What? Could it be…? Does Miyako know about this?

"They refuse to even talk about shutting this place down. That's why we planned this break in. The only way to stop this is to terminate Canopus."

I frown. "You can't do that. It's—"

"Access is keyed to your genetic code, I know."

Suddenly, I feel sick.

That means… "It was all a lie then?"

"What?!" Hibiki looks shocked, then scandalized, then hurt in such quick succession, I'm not sure I didn't imagine it. "No! I never lied to you!"

"No," I agree, "you only told me the truths that suit your purposes." Thinking back now, it all seems so clear. "You hacked Merak to set us up."

"No, actually, I didn't," he interjects quickly, gripping my hands more tightly as I try to twist them out of his hold. "That was pure coincidence."

I shake my head — I won't fall for his lies again. "That's why you kept asking about the Canopus programs. The incident at the café with the Benetnasch drone, that was no accident, was it?"

He shakes his head. "I had to see them in action, yes. We only know about Denebola, but Benetnasch will activate secondary security protocols once we're inside."

"You followed me everywhere, made me take you to all the facilities, not because you were genuinely interested in the place—"

"—but because I needed to be familiar with the layout of Providence for today, yes," he finishes quietly. "Listen—"

"Heh…" It's hard to breathe, and my eyes are stinging. The only thing keeping me steady is the scent of his unshaken calm. "You used every trick in the book," I whisper hoarsely, _from biochemistry to psychology, and I let you. I let you do this to me, let myself believe your lies._

"Yamato, please, I swear they weren't tricks. I meant everything I said. We could leave this place together."

"Stop it." I turn away. "Let me go. Have you not deceived me enough?" This time, he obliges, and I wrap my arms around myself, but it doesn't ward off the chill of disappointment. "I had such high expectations of you. Heh, I must say I'm impressed by your skill at manipulation… no, I knew that from the start, and I'd usually approve of doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals, but if you are willing to create a child as a means to your ends, you are no less corrupt than your enemies. Leave. I have no reason to help you."

Hibiki doesn't move, and either I'm projecting or he's just that skilled — he smells genuinely sad. "Look, here's the full truth. You're right — I was sent here to find you because reaching your sister is nigh on impossible, but I _never_ imagined we'd be genetically compatible. I thought, when you told me your name, it was too good to be true, but the rest of it? That wasn't the mission. I've never been so attracted to anyone. I didn't have to pretend to be hopelessly in love with you — I am. But even then, that time you were most strongly under Alioth's influence, I couldn't do it. Even kissing you to test the news I'd heard felt like I was taking advantage of your drugged state."

"Drugged?" I glance at him sharply. "What are you saying?"

"One component of the Alioth drink is a drug that promotes docility and apathy, makes you less resistant to the influence of an Alpha. Haven't you felt it? Yamato, when I asked about your past, you showed such deep resentment for being sent here, and yet, not once in the last two years have you acted on those feelings. Why? Even in our brief time together, I have seen — you are not one to simply accept your fate. So why? What happened to your drive?"

I… No, that wasn't in the design. We never planned to drug the inhabitants. And yet… there is truth to his words. He even dropped the cup on purpose to avoid drinking it. Is that a recent patch? Did Miyako do it? Could the government have sabotaged the code prior to implementation?

"Yamato," he says gently, emphatic. "I know you have no reason to believe me. All the proof I have is outside. But what I told you about Daichi and Io is true. I'm not so cold or irresponsible as to come here without a plan. No matter whom I'm paired with, the child is mine, too. And I truly meant what I said about doing this together." Tentatively, he places a hand on my knee, and reflex makes me look at him. It's a mistake, I know, a show of weakness — I doubt enough without looking into those heartfelt blue eyes. "I do love you, Yamato. I do want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's not a lie. I may not have told you everything, but I never lied to you. And it's true that I need your help, but I truly do respect you. So I won't force or compel you, even though I could, even though, for the sake of this mission and all my comrades in the rebellion, I really should."

As he's speaking, movement behind him catches my eye. The door opens silently, and a Benetnasch drone zips towards us, weapon engaging.

"To stay in this prison or be free, with or without me—"

"Hibiki, look out!"

"Yamato, it's your choice— ack!"

He falls forward into my lap with that sound of pain as the tranquilliser dart hits him squarely in the back.

"You— You imbecile!" It… It shouldn't hurt. After all his lies, I shouldn't care, but "I warned you! Why didn't you evade?!"

He scoffs, blue eyes incredulous. "And let it hit you?"

His eyes fall shut, and he crumples in my arms. Heh… all that planning, and this is how his mission ends. "You're too soft," I tell him, even though he can't hear. "You've come this far. You should have forced my hand." Regardless of whether I can trust him, he's right about one thing — this break in is my chance. I could shut this place down, pin it on the rebellion if they're wrong. I could leave this place.

To stay in this prison or be free…

The drone approaches to take him away for detention or re-education, and I'm not sure which is worse. As mechanical arms pick him up, I slam my hand into the side panel. It's been years, but the memories are as clear as if I'd just read the documents yesterday.

"ID Hotsuin Yamato. Input override six-four-two-one-zero-three."

There's a moment of processing before the drone responds, "Biometric match confirmed. Input authorized. Override accepted. Terminating all activity."

With a soft whirr, the drone floats to the floor and the hum of its hardware ceases.

Climbing out of bed, I remove the dart, roll him fully under the covers and hurriedly change into my track pants and shirt before pushing the deactivated drone out the door, locking it behind me and overriding the lock to allow only me access. I need to reach the Canopus server in the central area, and I can override Megrez to reach there, but Polaris might have identified me as a threat and try to stop me now.

Indeed, as I run out of the building, a Benetnasch drone takes aim at me, and I'm nowhere nearly close enough to input the override. I can only hope I evade in time.

_Pop._

With a loud fritz, the drone drops to the ground to reveal a face I never thought I'd see again.

"You!"

It's Alcor, only son of the programmer behind most of the code for Canopus, holding a small gun-like device — from the way it disabled the Benetnasch drone, I'm assuming it's an EMP generator. He looks just like he did as a child, with his almost-white hair and bushy eyebrows, only taller now. From the recognition in his grey eyes, I surmise I've changed little as well.

"Hotsuin Yamato… To think…" He shakes his head. "I was sad to hear you'd been sent here. You had such potential."

"What are you doing here?"

Ever unflappable, he sadly replies, "In the later days of my father's life, he came to deeply regret the results of his work. I think seeing his favorite niece sent here was what really did it for him. Together, we developed a virus that would wipe the coding for Canopus, but the government wouldn't hear anything about stopping or changing the program, so we got in contact with the rebellion. There, we found out that they'd not only been lying about the census data, they'd also made some unauthorised edits to the code before the system went live."

"The drugs," I conclude.

"Yes." He pauses. "I am here to upload the virus we made."

"But to do that, you need me or Miyako."

"Yes."

"That's why you sent Hibiki."

He hesitates, then says, "Yes."

"Well," I walk towards the nearest Megrez buggy, "you chose the right person for the job."

"I'm glad." Alcor follows me. "Wakui Keita reported earlier that the mission could be jeopardised by Kuze Hibiki becoming overly attached to the target."

So that's why he was talking to Keita that day. How many clues did I miss? I place my hand on the dashboard panel more forcefully than necessary. "ID Hotsuin Yamato. Input override nine-zero-seven-eight-zero-one."

Alcor shoots down another drone headed our way before jumping into the buggy beside me. "We need to hurry. Benetnasch will be congregating on us soon."

A mechanical voice replies, "Biometric match confirmed. Input authorized. Override accepted. Unlocking manual navigation," then the touchscreen beside the panel switches from buttons to a map of Providence, and I tap the location of the Canopus server.

"Wakui is not mistaken." We hang on as the buggy jerks into motion and starts driving towards our destination. "He is now unconscious in my apartment because he let the tranquilliser dart hit him instead of me. He didn't try to make me help him either."

Alcor smiles wistfully. "One of our friends likes to say 'he's a real stand-up guy.' He cannot bear to ask a person he cares for to put their life on the line, so our personnel are assigned on a voluntary basis. Kuze Hibiki is as compassionate as he is talented, but that's what makes him the Shining One, the leader everyone flocks to."

Lea— "He's the leader of the rebellion?!" And he put the entire operation at risk over mere sentiment?!

"Not de jure, no. Kuriki Ronaldo led us long before he joined. But de facto, we rarely act without his advice anymore."

"I question the quality of that advice," I tell him as we come to a stop before a small white tower. In the distance, I see Wakui dodge a tranquilliser dart, then drop another drone as it reloads. That explains the small number of drones coming after us.

To my surprise, Alcor laughs as we disembark. "You are here, are you not?"

My hand freezes halfway to the access panel. It's true — getting me here was his mission. Even now, I'm playing into his hands.

"Please consider your options wisely, Hotsuin," says an Alpha with chin-length black hair, wearing a purple jacket, as he approaches from the other side of the building. "I am Kuriki Ronaldo, and we will end this heinous infringement of human rights or die trying. Today, you could win justice and freedom for yourself and all your fellow Omegas. Yet, I must say Hibiki has far more faith in you than we do."

"And far more compassion," Alcor agrees behind me as he disables another drone.

It's a thinly veiled threat — they are willing to use force. Either way, it's too late to stop now. Whether this insurgence succeeds or fails, I am already an accessory to treason.

I place my hand on the access panel. It lights up, scans my palm, then I hear the heavy locks disengage, and the steel doors slide open. Alcor and I run in. I've never actually seen this server room before. It's massive, extending both above and below ground, and freezing.

Suddenly, I hear a buzz and a woman's voice, but I can't make out the words. Looking around, I realize it's from a communicator in Alcor's ear.

"Thank you, Kanno Fumi." Locking the door behind us, he reports, "We are out of time. The military is here. They've disabled the signal we used to jam Denebola. If we fail to destroy Canopus before they reach us, it's over." He presses his EMP gun to the lock panel and fries it. "This may buy us an extra half an hour."

We run to the centre and scan the rows and rows of machines lining the wall. That's when a blueprint I saw as a child finally comes to mind.

"I remember… the console is down in the basement, but the security panel is two floors up."

Alcor nods. "Thank you, Hotsuin Yamato, for doing this."

I scowl at him. "Don't. I'm doing this for myself, of my own free will. I have no intention of spending the rest of my life wasting away in this place. It will take them years and billions to fully replicate Canopus. I assume you have released the information you have on this cover up to the public domain?"

With a smile, he replies, "You are as wise as I remember. Yes, the temporal and economic cost, coupled with the public outcry, will prevent the restart of this project."

I nod and turn to head upstairs.

"Stay alert," he warns. "They might have installed some security measures in here as well."

Well, nothing under the Canopus program will use injurious force on gestating Omegas or members of the Hotsuin family, but I wonder if the military will imprison us for trial or execute us on sight.

Still, I suppose death is a form of freedom too.

♤♡♢♧

Unlocking the door, I find my apartment untouched, exactly as I left it the day we broke the system. It's been three months, but there's not even much dust. The virus destroyed or corrupted most of Polaris' surveillance data by the time the authorities tried to retrieve it, and Hibiki and Alcor swore they coerced me to cooperate. Without evidence to the contrary and in light of my condition, I was merely placed under house arrest at the Hotsuin family estate while due process ran its course.

When the world learned the full truth about Providence, there was widespread horror and outrage. One Doctor Yanagiya testified publicly about the drugging and re-education she discovered while working at Providence General Hospital, exposing scores of lab analyses and other documentation as evidence, and that started out as the primary domestic scandal because nothing of the sort had been mentioned when the Providence project was first approved as a temporary measure to solve the population crisis. However, when the real census data came to light in mainstream publication, no one could justify maintaining the centre. Many countries threatened sanctions, embargoes and such if reparations and changes weren't made, spurring swift resolution of the situation — apologies were issued, implicated officials resigned en masse, and all the captured rebels were acquitted and released.

The funding for Providence was put towards programs to reintegrate Omegas into society — most Omegas were brought to Providence with limited life skills and education, and many no longer had any place to return to, so even after Canopus was terminated, they never left, and workarounds were put in place while the government figured out how to proceed. They were still the legal owners of the apartment units they lived in, of course —no one would dare dispute that— but the Canopus system had been the backbone of the island's infrastructure. In the end, examination revealed that some equipment could be salvaged and reprogrammed for a residential project, so Miyako offered our family's support towards restoring quality of life on the island.

For starters, they reactivated the wristbands' identification and banking functions to re-enable the use of the electronic locks and cashless payment system. Alcor wrote a version of Megrez sans user tracking and logging to run the hybrid solar and electric buggies, which are the island's only form of public transportation. Eventually, the wristbands will be replaced with new versions — sans the electrocution mechanism and with a modified version of Spica installed as an optional fitness app.

The government's new plan is to develop versions of Polaris, Benetnasch and Denebola into a security system in all public areas for crime prevention, as well as to extend modified versions of Merak and Arcturus —the most advanced medical programs and devices Japan has ever produced— to medical facilities nationwide. Now that they are longer designated as national secrets, the prototypes for Mizar and Alioth were acquired by private corporations, and they're asking if Alcor would be willing to write the new programs for their proposed new home electronics — a customised nutrition supplement maker and a robot to clean and maintain the home.

"Special delivery!"

I turn as Hibiki shuts the door behind him and toes off his shoes, shopping bag in hand. Like the others, he spent the last three months in prison, and he's lost weight. I suspect that's the least of the damage —I doubt anyone charged with treason would be treated kindly in there— but it's not something we talk about. He wasn't even allowed visitors, but I managed to obtain special dispensation, citing separation anxiety and foetal health risks.

I remember his surprise when he saw me, how it quickly turned to relief and joy. "I'm glad you seem well. I didn't think you'd want to see me," he said as he sat down.

"I didn't," I agreed.

"What changed?"

"I noticed some facts I'd missed before."

Two months after I returned to Osaka, one of my relatives came to visit with her partner. As Miyako is now the clan head, they required her formal approval to marry. She gave it freely, of course, but most importantly, I caught their scent when I met them and realized how familiar it was — Hibiki smelled a little like that all the time.

"Gyudon for me and oyakodon for you," he announces, setting them down on the table, and I thank him as I fetch the cutlery from the kitchen drawer.

We eat in silence, much like the journey here had been. I visited him every week, but we never discussed an uncertain future. I would update him on the situation outside while he simply held me close like it was all he'd ever want. Even now, I haven't decided whether I'm moving back here or just collecting my belongings, whether I will raise our child or give it up for adoption.

"What will you do after this?" Hibiki asks, as if reading my mind, and I look up to find that he has finished his dinner.

"The government is setting up a new ministry to deal with the aftermath of Providence and Omega reintegration. Any attempt to appoint an Alpha or Beta as the Minister will result in massive global backlash, so they have offered the position to the only Omega they know to have been trained for government office."

"You'll accept then?"

"I am considering it. It is the career I would have chosen if I had not presented as Omega, after all. What about you? Did you hear back from the universities?"

He scoffs. "No, and I doubt I ever will now."

I frown. "But you've been acquitted. The world has deemed your cause just and lauded you a hero."

"You do realize conformity is considered a virtue in this country? They're probably worried I'd find some issue to start a mutiny over if they let me in." He rolls his eyes, shrugging. "There might be some exceptions, some institutions that would benefit from the publicity, so maybe I'll look around some more soon."

Inclining my head in agreement, I add, "Or you could work for me."

Hibiki blinks. "But I'm not an Omega."

"You are a hero of the rebellion," I counter. "They'd make an exception for you. Furthermore, it will take time to prepare a community that received an elementary school education at best for leadership positions in a Ministry, and we need key personnel sooner than that." I sigh, setting my chopsticks down as I finish eating as well. "In truth, the most reliable personnel are Betas —they're unaffected by scents, cycles and such— but…"

"If you hire mostly Betas, you'll be criticised for the lack of Omega representation in an organisation established to champion Omega interests," he concludes, ever astute. "On the other hand, hiring staff who are ill-equipped to handle these responsibilities at a crucial time like this will allow them to trample you, which is exactly what they intend to do." He crosses his arms, expression dark. "They're setting you up to preserve the status quo in the name of fair representation. When you go to fight for better conditions, those Alphas will bully you into accepting their unreasonable terms, then report that you agreed to the oppression freely, and put the blame for all future Omega problems on your poor leadership. So you need some people you can trust and rely on now, and the only non-Omegas they can't dispute are the rebellion activists that were prepared to die for their cause." He nods. "I understand. For government office, a few suitable people come to mind. I'll speak with them."

"That's my Hibiki." I smirk, appreciative. "You're intelligent as always."

He shakes his head, relaxing. "My father is a Councillor, my stepmother a Representative. I've seen this all my life."

"Hah, a politician. I should have known. More than ever, I want you on my side."

"I am." He covers my hands on the table with his own, meets my gaze head on. When it comes to him, I can't tell if it's heartfelt sincerity or if I just don't care. "And if you let me, I always will be."

I stand — this is it then. "Does that mean you won't accept the job unless I accept you?"

"What?" He all but leaps back, horrified. "No! Must you think the worst of me? I'll help you regardless. It's just… It's not right to go forward without clearing things up between us, especially if we'll be working together."

"My apologies." I admit, "That was uncalled for. But you are correct, and I _am_ glad for your answer." Indeed, I never needed to ask — he will serve our cause loyally no matter what happens between us because it was his cause before it was mine.

He takes a deep breath and steps closer. "Yamato, you are the only mate I'll ever want," and I can smell it — love, desire, a hint of regret. "Please, give me a chance to love you like I should have the first time. Let me truly be yours."

"Mine," I whisper — there's a nice ring to it, but "I don't need a mate. I don't need someone to love or even to love me." But the truth is… I was happy. Those first two months, this last one, _I was happy._ "That's not why you're here." I see his face start to fall and derisively preempt any protest with "But had I meant to turn you away, I would have done so before we ca— No, I wouldn't even have bothered to visit."

A slight smile then, but he doesn't move, remains silent to let me finish, and this, this is why he's here. I turn to look into the bedroom, also exactly as we left it. "That day, you asked me what happened to my drive. Heh. I've had three months to think about it, and I realized — it wasn't the drugs; it wasn't what you might call a twisted sense of responsibility." I shake my head, walking towards it and taking stock of the rest of the apartment. "In truth, from the start, I thought it meaningless. Our society, Hibiki, is what is broken. As long as the world sees Omegas as little more than glorified livestock, it matters little whether we are confined here or scattered across the country. No, in fact, here is better. Beyond the borders of Providence, we wouldn't even have this much." Taking a deep breath, I turn back to him. "If I could have remade the world as I desired, altering human consciousness for the better, have no doubt that I would have acted long ago, that I would have let nothing stand in my way of that goal. However—"

"We _can_ change the hearts and minds of people," Hibiki interjects softly. “It won't happen quickly or easily, but we can. Already the winds of change are blowing.”

I nod. "It was you who didn't lose hope, who showed me the possibility in a world I dismissed as rotten beyond salvage. This is your vision, and you have always backed up your words, proven not only your talents, but also the strength of your will."

He chuckles, fond. "I'm happy to satisfy the qualifications for your deputy, but I was rather hoping you'd simply say you love me."

“I do.”

He gasps, lighting up like a star —it's fitting, what Alcor called him, Shining One— but he only offers his hands, lets me choose instead of assuming.

I should match his sincerity somehow. “But more importantly, you alone are worthy of leading by my side. Together, I believe there is nothing we cannot achieve.”

I take his hands, then tentatively step closer. We've only hugged since before the break in, but the kiss feels like it always has — chaste, then ardent; warm and affirming. We are equals; we always have been.

There's no more collar to stop him when we bury our faces in each other's necks, but he only kisses the place he should bite. My pulse quickens, my eyes fall shut, and when he asks if I'm sure, I lean into him, kiss his neck too, lick the salt off the line of his jugular vein, and he shudders in my arms.

"Yes."

I feel the mating claim to my core, like we are one now, like his very being is under my skin, enveloping me. Suddenly, I _know_ him, beyond the words and the stories, and I realize something important.

"We won't have time."

"Hm?"

"To raise a child."

Hibiki's parents never had time for him while he was growing up because they were too busy with their work, and here we are condemning our child to the same loneliness.

"Mm…" He holds me close, so we're temple to temple, combs his fingers idly through my hair. "What if we could work out some kind of co-parenting arrangement with Daichi and Io? That way, we wouldn't have to give the children up, they would have kids to care for, we can be sure our children are in good hands, and the kids would always have at least one set of parents by their side."

I raise an eyebrow. "Last I checked, there's only one."

Hibiki laughs, sweeping me off my feet to carry me to the bed. "As if I could keep my hands off you forever. Besides," he pecks me on the nose, "I'm happy to procreate for my country when it doesn't entail oppressing my mate."

I let out an exasperated chuckle as I snuggle close. "Easy for you to say when you get the easy job."

"Would it help if I promised to do all the hard work at the Ministry for you?"

"Fair enough," I concede as he pulls the covers up around us, and as I close my eyes to the steady rhythm of his heart, I'm certain — together, we will change this world.

**Author's Note:**

> In truth, I wrote the first draft of this not too long after I completed [On Equal Ground](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4804172), but I didn't like what I had, so it's been lost in editing hell till now.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and all feedback is always greatly appreciated. ♡


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